Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 397 Heroes and Insects

A few days later, Cao Cao personally led his troops to begin clearing out the Xiongnu forces that had entered the area south of the Yellow River.

In just five days, Cao Cao defeated Huchuquan's troops, beheading more than a thousand.

Hu Chuquan fled to Hanoi.

Zhu Jun, who was originally trapped in Zhongmu, also organized a righteous army to fight against the White Wave Army.

Upon hearing the news, Zhang Liao attacked Hebei from Baima in Dongjun to support Zhang Yan.

With reinforcements, Zhang Yan quickly stabilized his position in the Chaoge area and immediately ordered the various tribes of Heishan to rush to Shexian to support Xu Huang.

The battlefield in the Montenegro area quickly stabilized, and a counter-offensive began to be organized.

After defeating Huchuquan, Cao Cao immediately crossed the river at Baima, and the "Great Han Alliance" composed of Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Zhang Yan met at Liyang in Wei Commandery.

It was also at this time that the Qingzhou court issued a document from Linzi to various places announcing the completion of the Great Han Heroes' Shrine.

What was issued was not an imperial edict, but a proclamation to the world, designating the Martyrs' Shrine as the foremost site for state worship.

The document explained what constitutes a hero and martyr, and also mentioned the term "traitor" for the first time.

There are no heroes in civil wars; only those who defend against foreign enemies or seek the well-being of the people deserve to be enshrined in the Hall of Heroes.

Anyone who colludes with barbarian invaders to plunder Han territory is a traitor and should be executed on sight.

This is not an order, but merely a proclamation.

But at the end of each document was written: "The Han Dynasty has nurtured scholars for hundreds of years. Do the Han people fear death? Do you still remember Huo Biao Yao?"
Upon seeing this document, the troops of Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, Li Qian, Yue Jin, and others stationed in various counties of Yan and Yu also set off northward.

Sun Guan of Taishan and Zang Ba of Xiaopei immediately led their elite troops to Jizhou.

Xun Yu remained in Yingchuan to support logistics and suppressed all discordant voices within Cao Cao's forces.

Xun You also supplied the allied forces with provisions and weapons at Baimadu, and recruited volunteers in Puyang, recalling all the grain transport soldiers who had been taken by Liu Bei to various places in Yanzhou.

In the direction of Youzhou, Xianyu Yin was unable to stop the Xianbei people who were moving south from Yuyang. After resisting step by step, he almost lost all his troops and retreated to Ji County with a body full of wounds.

Liu Yu held Ji County and did not retreat. Although leading troops was not his forte, as long as the governor did not retreat, the soldiers and civilians of Youzhou would not easily withdraw.

Faced with such a momentous issue as the war between the Han and the Hu, most of the heroes of the Han Dynasty lived up to their identity as sons of the Han people.

Even a burly man who sews and mends...

That's Han too!

As long as the Han flag stands, the pride of the Han people as the supreme ruler of the world will not fall.

……

If all factors are taken into account, this national war has reached the scale of the Han-Xiongnu War during the reign of Emperor Wu.

On the battlefields of Sanhe and Bingzhou, the White Wave Army, along with the Southern Xiongnu, numbered a total of 100,000.

On the battlefield of Youzhou, the Wuhuan and Xianbei, along with other Donghu tribes, numbered around 100,000, perhaps even more, as the exact number of Gongsun Du's troops was unknown.

On the Liangzhou battlefield, Dong Zhuo was also facing the Qiang and Di rebellion. Influenced by the self-proclaimed King of Pinghan by the Futu sect in Longxi, the Hehuang Qiang were also in revolting. The Hehuang Qiang were the Lesser Yuezhi.

But the Han Dynasty had heroes as well as scoundrels.

Because of the lies told by Niu Fu's troops, Niu Fu became very wary of Cao Cao. When he learned that Cao Cao had launched a large-scale military campaign and transferred a large number of troops from Henan Yin to Chenggao for defense, he thought that Cao Cao's campaign was to attack Luoyang.

Of course, the misunderstanding was quickly cleared up. When Niu Fu saw that Cao Cao's troops were there to kill the Xiongnu, he stopped fighting Cao Cao and instead redeployed his troops to the north to recover Bingzhou.

After all, he was the governor of Bingzhou. If the lost territory wasn't reclaimed, even being Dong Zhuo's son-in-law wouldn't make a difference.

However, the problem is that due to the previous withdrawal of troops, there is a shortage of troops around Luoyang.

Taking advantage of the low water level and narrow channel of the Yellow River at this time, Guo Tai built a pontoon bridge across the river from the Pingyin area upstream and quickly captured Pingyin and Mengjin.

After the ferry crossing fell, the White Wave Army marched south in full force, abandoning the Southern Xiongnu who were fighting Zhang Yan in Hanoi, and headed straight for Luoyang.

Twenty thousand White Wave Army soldiers appeared only a few dozen miles from Luoyang.

The most troublesome thing is that Guo Tai did not directly attack Luoyang, but continued to attack the area around Luoyang, both to take supplies and to destroy the defense system around Luoyang.

At this time, Dong Zhuo's main force was in Jingzhao and Fufeng, Niu Fu was in Chenggao, and Zhang Ji was in Nanyang.

Dong Min and Dong Huang were in Luoyang, but the troops from Luoyang had just been transferred to Chenggao and had not yet returned.

The city was heavily guarded on the southeast, west, and south sides, but Luoyang was completely undefended.

This caused panic among Empress Dowager Dong and all the officials in Luoyang.

If they hold Luoyang, they will most likely be able to hold it, since the troops transferred to Niufu can be recalled quickly.

However, judging from Guo Tai's current arrangements, Niu Fu's troops are likely to be blocked by the Bai Bo army outside the city on their way back from Chenggao, which is indeed very dangerous.

Niu Fu's troops had just suffered a major defeat in Bingzhou, and their combat effectiveness was indeed not very good.

Luoyang currently has only two thousand troops, and the fighting skills of Dong Min and Dong Huang are beyond description.

The current Luoyang court is feeling very guilty.

Especially in the eyes of Empress Dowager Dong and others, Luoyang was very unsafe.

Back then, Liu Bei took control of Luoyang overnight, and at that time, Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo together only had a few thousand troops.

Back then, when He Jin, Yuan Shao, and others caused such a commotion in Luoyang, they only had a combined force of about ten thousand people.

But right now, Guo Tai has an army of 20,000, and more enemies are constantly crossing the river.

—That's how people who don't know how to fight make comparisons. They mostly compare sizes based on numbers and evaluate by quantity, ignoring all other factors.

Moreover, the White Wave Army was a legitimate remnant of the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

The boys that Guo Tai took away from Julu, the seeds left behind by Zhang Jiao, have now grown into adults—each of them carries deep hatred and hatred, and almost all of them are orphans whose parents were killed.

These remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion no longer held Zhang Jiao's beliefs, but their hatred for the Han Dynasty was even deeper.

Back then, Liu Shi, the left colonel of the Yellow Turbans, insisted on killing Zhu Jun right in front of Liu Bei, which simply doesn't make sense.

If the city falls, what will become of the officials of Luoyang?
For Empress Dowager Dong and the officials of Luoyang, the Southern Xiongnu's attack on Henan was for plunder, and perhaps they could negotiate or compromise; at least there was an opportunity for negotiation.

But if Guo Tai breaks through Luoyang, there will definitely be no room for negotiation.

Moreover, the White Wave Army and the Southern Xiongnu are now allies.

When Empress Dowager Dong learned that the rebels were approaching Luoyang, she was terrified and sought advice from Wang Yun.

Wang Yun suggested to Empress Dowager Dong: "Why not lead all the officials east to Qingzhou to find His Majesty? This way we can avoid the bandits and welcome His Majesty back to the capital..."

"Avoiding the bandits is possible, but..."

Empress Dowager Dong shook her head with a distressed expression: "With our strength, how can we possibly wrest His Majesty back from Liu Bei?"

"Now that the barbarians are rising up everywhere, Liu Bei has already led his army to the north, and Qingzhou is at its most vulnerable... Moreover, my brother Rou, the Protector of the Xiongnu, still has troops under his command, and the officials also have retainers to protect them. General Niu and Attendant Dong's troops are also in Chenggao."

Wang Yun said in a low voice, "The White Wave Moths and the Xiongnu raiding Henan seem like a crisis, but it is actually the best time to welcome the Emperor..."

"If we are pursued by bandits..."

Empress Dowager Dong was still uneasy.

"The White Wave Ethnic Bandits hate Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun... If they are sent to fight the bandits and hold them back, the Empress Dowager can advance eastward smoothly."

Wang Yun spoke with great conviction.

……

So the Empress Dowager summoned all the officials, intending to leave Luoyang for Qingzhou to find Liu Xie. "I am old and worried that I may never see my grandson again in this life. I wish to go to Linzi to visit Your Majesty. What do you all think?"

Empress Dowager Dong still had some pride, so she didn't say she was giving up Luoyang or running away; she only said she missed Liu Xie.

This was indeed something Empress Dowager Dong had always wanted to do, but she hadn't dared to before.

During the years that Liu Xie was taken away by Liu Bei, Empress Dowager Dong dared not go to Linzi. When Liu Bei was in Luoyang, he had her confined to the palace. If she went to Linzi, she would probably be imprisoned.

But Liu Bei is not in Linzi now, nor is his main force.

Dong Min objected, saying, "With bandits causing trouble now, it is not appropriate to go to Linzi. If the Empress Dowager is worried about safety, it would be better to move to Chang'an..."

"No! In recent years, the Yellow River has changed its course and the water level has dropped. The riverbed north of Hangu Pass is exposed, and the fortified city gates can no longer stop people. The road to Chang'an to the west is rugged, and we will surely be pursued by the White Wave Moth Bandits..."

Wang Yun stepped forward and said, "Currently, Niu Fu's army is in Chenggao, and the road to the east is relatively unobstructed. It is indeed appropriate to send the Empress Dowager eastward to Linzi, so as to welcome His Majesty back to the capital."

Dong Min and Dong Huang hesitated for a moment, then remained silent.

Wang Yun was right. Hangu Pass is basically no longer able to stop people. When the water level is low, it is indeed possible to bypass it by going directly through the riverbed and rocky banks.

If we head west, we will indeed be pursued.

Moreover, Wang Yun was talking about welcoming the emperor back to the capital, and Dong Min and Dong Huang certainly wanted to bring Liu Xie to Luoyang as well.

Before the White Wave Army besieges the city, hurry to Linzi. Once you pass Hulao Pass, you'll be safe. Niu Fu has a large army under his command.

In fact, the officials in Luoyang all had their own ideas: either move the imperial court to Linzi or bring the emperor back. No one wanted to be controlled by Liu Bei forever.

The officials naturally had different ideas, but at this time, most officials in Luoyang reached a consensus.

Going to Linzi is at least a feasible option.

Seeing this, Yang Biao had no choice but to object: "Why do you all deceive yourselves? Are you all so afraid of the enemy? Luoyang can still be defended, so why not defend it?"

Fu Wan also looked at the officials and expressed his dissatisfaction: "If we abandon Luoyang and go out, aren't you afraid of being pursued by the enemy? Most of you have relatives in the capital. Aren't you afraid that your families will be killed?"

"Lord Situ, we were merely escorting the Empress Dowager to see His Majesty... When did we ever say we were abandoning Luoyang?"

Wang Yun retorted, "The White Wave Moths are remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, a consequence of Huangfu Yizhen's failure to complete his campaign back then... Therefore, we request Huangfu Yizhen to hold Luoyang and summon General Zhang from Nanyang for reinforcements."

"Prince Shi! What exactly do you mean? If we divide the troops in Luoyang now, wouldn't that be helping the enemy to break through the capital?!"

Yang Biao was furious: "Has the Wang family of Taiyuan sided with Guo Tai?!"

Taiyuan is indeed now occupied by Guo Tai, and it's not necessarily true whether the Wang family has sided with Guo Tai...

"Minister Yang, don't make baseless accusations. My Wang family has been loyal and virtuous for generations. How could we possibly betray our country to the enemy?"

Wang Yun was very dissatisfied: "It is our duty to share the burden of the Empress Dowager and enable His Majesty to fulfill his filial duties... If you, Minister of Works, are unwilling to go to Linzi to welcome His Majesty, then stay in the capital. Either way, you will be serving the Han Dynasty."

"Enough... Master Yang, let them go if they want to leave..."

Huangfu Song sighed: "I request that you gentlemen gather your retainers to guard the city, and I also request that the Empress Dowager grant me the military tally and conscript laborers. I can then defend Luoyang."

Huangfu Song was indeed the person the White Wave Army hated the most. In order to save his life, Huangfu Song naturally had to defend Luoyang.

For the past two years, Huangfu Song has served as the Commandant of the Guards in Luoyang, but he has no troops under his command. Dong Zhuo does not trust him and has distributed his troops to various other units.

If the troops in Luoyang, along with the guards of the officials and the palace guards, were all organized and handed over to Huangfu Song, Luoyang would certainly be able to hold out.

After all, there were still so many people in Luoyang City, and quite a few weapons and armor; the guards for the officials alone could number in the thousands.

Moreover, Huangfu Song is indeed a highly capable general, and besides, we can seek help from all directions now, so the situation is not so dire that we have to run away.

Guo Si in Chang'an and Zhang Ji in Nanyang both have a large number of elite troops and generals who can provide reinforcements.

That's why Guo Tai didn't directly attack Luoyang; Guo Tai was also somewhat shrewd.

But the problem is...

No one was willing to hand over their household guards and retainers to Huangfu Song.

Since we're going to Linzi, who would entrust their guards to someone else?

No one who can become a high-ranking official is a fool. All the officials can realize what Empress Dowager Dong and Wang Yun are going to do in Qingzhou. Isn't it because Linzi is bound to be vulnerable now...?

At this moment, someone suddenly said, "The White Wave Moth bandits are wreaking havoc in the capital region. If General Huangfu intends to go out of the city to annihilate the White Wave bandits, we may be able to help with some manpower."

Huangfu Song turned his head, and it was Zhong Ji who was speaking.

What he really meant was to tell Huangfu Song to go out and hold off the White Wave Army. If Huangfu Song wanted more troops, he had to hold off the White Wave Army outside to prevent Empress Dowager Dong and the officials from being chased and killed when they fled.

Huangfu Song's son, Huangfu Li, flew into a rage: "Zhong Ji, I'll beat you..."

Huangfu Song grabbed Huangfu Li and stopped him from cursing: "Zhong Shizhong is right. The traitor E deeply hates my Huangfu family, and as a Han official, I must punish the rebels... Please leave some men for me, and take care of yourselves."

That sounds like a noble and virtuous statement, but it really is about using oneself as bait.

Empress Dowager Dong immediately appointed Huangfu Song as General of Chariots and Cavalry again, and ordered Dong Min and Dong Huang to return Huangfu Song's former troops. All the officials also handed over their retainers and guards living in Luoyang to Huangfu Song.

Subsequently, Huangfu Song led his ragtag army north out of the Xiamen Gate.

Wang Yun, along with most of the officials, escorted Empress Dowager Dong out of the east gate towards Chenggao.

Moreover, as soon as they arrived in Yanshi, troops came to meet them. Among those troops were many Xiongnu people, who immediately told them that Cao Cao's entire army had already marched north.

The commander was Wang Rou, the Protector-General of the Xiongnu, who was Wang Yun's cousin and was recommended by Wang Yun after he entered Luoyang.

In fact, Yang Biao's guess was correct. The Southern Xiongnu and the White Wave Army rose up in rebellion and captured Taiyuan. However, Wang Rou did not send back any news beforehand. How could the Wang family of Taiyuan stay out of it?

However, Wang did not join Guo Tai; the three parties were in a conspiracy.

The White Wave Army wants to re-establish the Yellow Emperor, the Southern Xiongnu want to restore their former royal court, and Wang Yun needs an opportunity to go to Linzi to seize the emperor.

Dong Min, Dong Huang, and others also hoped to welcome the emperor back to Luoyang. Although they did not conspire with Wang Yun, they shared the same desire.

Previously, Cao Cao and Liu Bei had formidable military strength, but now both Liu Bei and Cao Cao have transferred their troops to Hebei.

Moreover, this was done by Empress Dowager Dong along with all the officials; the order was given by Empress Dowager Dong, so of course she should take the blame.

But then, something unexpected happened to Wang Yun.

Niu Fu's troops returned to Gong County and met with the officials, but Niu Fu refused to lead his troops to protect Empress Dowager Dong on her way to Qingzhou.

The reason...

Niu Fu had someone perform a divination, which said that sending troops eastward would be unfavorable.

Niu Fu was a firm believer in divination and was planning a counterattack on Bingzhou, so he did not want to provoke Cao Cao and Liu Bei.

Moreover, Niu Fu had always suspected that the Wang family of Taiyuan had something going on—first he suspected Zhang Yang, then Cao Cao, and now he suspected Wang Yun. In short, everyone seemed to be colluding with the Xiongnu…

Exhaustive search will always yield the correct answer.

Wang Yun needed Niu Fu's troops, so he asked General Dong Yue to persuade Niu Fu to go to Qingzhou first.

Niu Fu is very particular about the five elements and their interactions. When meeting guests, he often consults divination first to observe the other person's energy and predict good or bad fortune before meeting them.

When Dong Yue arrived, the fortune teller came forward to observe the qi and perform divination, and even planned to search him, which was rather rude.

Dong Yue was a member of Empress Dowager Dong's clan and came from a dissolute family. He lashed the diviner with a whip, ordering him to quickly inform Niu Fu.

After being beaten, the diviner cast another hexagram, "Kui," and said to Niu Fu, "This hexagram indicates that fire overcomes metal, which means that external forces will harm internal forces, and that there will be plots to seize and harm others."

As a result, Niu Fu immediately drew his sword and killed Dong Yue on the spot...

(End of this chapter)